


Finding Love in Liberty

by orphan_account



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-16 20:29:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11260404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Matthew is saved by Ivan, a citizen of Liberty ruled by the mysterious man known as the Governor. In the short amount of time they spend together, Matthew finds himself falling for Ivan, though little does he know that such a thing is not allowed.Pretty fluffy. No cheating.





	Finding Love in Liberty

**Author's Note:**

> This is reposted from my tumblr, if anyone is familiar with it.

“It’s going to be alright,” his smile was kind, genuine, soft. “You’re safe now.”

Those were the first words Matthew had heard from another human in what must have been weeks. His panicked and exhausted eyes took in the imposing figure—tall, broad, and ridiculously well-armed. His muscles were a testament to his power; he looked every bit the warrior that his polished uniform marked him as.

“Can you speak?” he asked, clearly worried.

Matthew nodded, then cleared his throat. He desperately needed water, and his attempt to reply verbally was thwarted by this fact. His rescuer was able to deduce this, and so, within seconds, a flask filled with cooling water was offered. Matthew took greedy gulps, though he was wise enough to slow down enough so as not to upset his shrunken stomach.

“Who are you?” he finally asked.

“My name is Ivan. My men and I have been out here scouting for a bit under two months now. We’re from a city far north of here. What’s your name?”

“Matthew,” he replied. “A city? A real city?”

Ivan chuckled. “Yes, we managed to put together a pretty nice base. There are walls and everything; land for farming, even. Liberty is her name. A bit gaudy, I know, but that’s all the Governor’s doing.”

“Liberty…” it was perhaps a cheesy name, but it brought him back to simpler times. Back to before the virus spread, before families were separated and loved ones killed or worse, turned into monsters without any memories of their past lives. “Liberty,” he repeated to himself.

“Do you have a group?” Ivan asked.

Matthew shook his head. “I lost them a while ago. I’m not sure if they’re…”

There was no need for him to finish his thought; it was a common enough occurrence those days.

“There’s plenty of room in Liberty for you, if you’d like to join us.”

Having run into his fair share of thieves and other morally reprehensible humans in the years since the virus, Matthew was wary to join this man and his group. Several people in his old group had told of murderous bands that saved others only to torture them later, or use them for something equally as seedy. He’d yet to encounter any cannibals, but he’d heard stories of such desperate people.

And yet, there was no other viable option for him but to go with this strange man. He was alone, near death already. He’d been hiding out in his little shack and rarely ventured out to look for food, too haunted by the echoing moans of the dead all around him.

Matthew stood, his own tall frame made less intimidating by atrophied muscles and a dirty countenance. Ivan helped him to the door, and then he was outside. He wasn’t sure how he’d failed to notice the noise until stepping foot out of his house, but his senses were immediately invaded. All around him were humans, each bearing guns and armor. There were even large trucks, some sporting what he supposed were tanks of water or maybe gasoline. It was an impressive operation, and he found himself gawking. Never had he seen a group so well-prepared. Normally he tried to get by by staying as quiet as possible so as not to attract any Walkers. But, even though this crowd was rowdy and surely attracting the beasts, he wasn’t even worried in that moment.

“What is Liberty like, exactly?” he asked Ivan. The man glanced at him from the corner of his eyes.

“She was a military base before the war, hence the built-in security measures. There are a lot of mountains nearby, the land is workable. Our greatest difficulty is fresh water, but we make do. We send out parties like mine to search for supplies and more citizens.”

“Military base… are you ex-military, then?”

He shook his head. “Hardly. I was a business man, visiting my sisters here in the States. I am not from here, originally.” Matthew could’ve guessed as much from his accented voice.

“Oh, where are you from?”

“Moscow,” he replied. “I was fortunate at least to be with my family when this all started. We stayed together for a long time. Finding Liberty was a blessing, as I’ve been able to make myself useful as well as keep them both safe.”

“I’m from Quebec. I was there when this started, but I found a group that wanted to travel south. We’d heard that D.C. had been cleared of Walkers, but when we got there it was in ash.”

Ivan nodded. “Da, they bombed the Capitol long ago. We heard about it on our radio. Luckily, they gave any citizens plenty of time to evacuate, and many came to us. That’s where our Governor came from, actually.”

“What are they like?”

“Alfred is a calculating man. He always was. He was some kind of politician before this, so he took to leading Liberty quite naturally.”

Matthew furrowed his brows. Despite his citizenship, he had a rather thorough knowledge of American political figures. “Alfred… you’re not talking about Senator Jones are you?”

“Hmm… I think Jones is his last name.”

“Blond, blue eyes, super young?” Matthew probed.

“That sounds about right.”

Matthew balked. “Alfred Franklin Jones is alive and leading your city?”

Ivan only nodded. “Don’t let him see you get all star-struck; his ego’s big enough as it is.”

“He was his state’s first democratic senator in decades! He single-handedly revamped their education system taking it from the bottom of the list to near the top! Unemployment was the lowest his state had seen in years!”

Ivan shrugged. “That’s all ancient history now. He’s a bit changed from all that.”

“That’s crazy,” Matthew mused. “I’ve always been curious about more well-known people, celebrities and stuff.”

“What about them?”

“When the outbreak started, do you think they made it out? Is Brittney Spears out there somewhere hacking through the undead with a machete? Or our president, perhaps?”

Ivan laughed. “I don’t know about Ms. Spears, but the president passed just before D.C. did. Secret Service tried their best, but he was bitten saving his children. He died nobly, and was even buried properly.”

Matthew frowned. While the man wasn’t his president, he’d always respected his leadership abilities. Ivan noticed Matthew’s forlorn look and so led him to a group of jocular soldiers. He gave a few quick instructions and Matthew was whisked away to be fed and bathed and clothed. By that evening, he looked nothing like the pale and weak man tucked away in some filthy shack. In the morning, he happily joined Ivan in the truck that led the caravan back to Liberty.

The trip was long, as they took a convoluted route and frequently made stops to search abandoned buildings or clear out any Walkers. Matthew knew how to fight, of course, but he didn’t feel comfortable getting back into the thick of things just then, so he remained in the van and watched from afar. Ivan himself didn’t often jump straight into the fray, but rather he kept back and devised strategies in order to minimize losses.

Ivan was very friendly with their newest addition, and he went out of his way to make sure Matthew was comfortable. One night, sitting around a healthy fire, the pair were the last ones still awake. A cold wind blew, disturbing some stray embers, and Matthew shivered. The weight of a fine-smelling coat pressed on his shoulder, and he turned to meet Ivan’s eyes.

Before, he’d been so preoccupied with Ivan’s strength that he failed to appreciate the less jarring details of the man, such as the way his unique eyes betrayed gentleness, or how his soft, silvery hair shone in the moonlight. He struggled to hide his embarrassment, and merely turned his sights back to the fire.

“Thank you,” he said.

“It is no worry. I am used to the cold.”

“I used to be, before this. Now, I can’t stand it,” he snuggled deeper into the down-lined cloak, subtly memorizing Ivan’s musky scent.

The larger man placed an arm around Matthew’s shoulders, and he blushed. For a few moments, they were quiet, the only sound the crackling of the fire before them. Matthew decided to restart their conversation, himself not comfortable with the silence.

“Can you tell me more about Liberty?” he asked. It had been a while since they’d discussed the city, as he noticed that Ivan always seemed a bit sad when they did. Ivan had explained that he was simply homesick and anxious to return, as it was the longest he’d been away from it. In addition, their radio had broken down weeks before, so he’d been unable to contact anyone back home directly.

“Of course. What do you want to know?”

“This Governor person, are you friends? It sounds as if you may not like him.”

“Alfred is an idiot, in my opinion, but he is truly a genius under all his theatrics. No matter what the city faces, he solves the problems with ease. This past year, things have been going so well. I honestly think he was just bored and that’s why he sent us out on this little ‘heroic missions’. He hates not having a challenge, and I think sometimes he creates problems that aren’t even worth fussing over.”

Matthew frowned. “That seems a bit reckless. What if any of you died because of him?”

“My men are strong, he knows this. And, it truly is advantageous to find more people. Why, on our last trip, we found a man who performed research before the virus, and with the lab equipment in the city, he was able to design many great tools for us to use. As much as I’d prefer being at home with my sisters, it is also nice to be out and doing things.”

“You make it sound as if being out here is as simple and pleasant as taking a little hike,” he laughed. “Though, with all your weapons, I suppose it’s easy to be carefree. You guys are so well-stocked.”

“That’s also thanks to Alfred. Honestly, a person could’ve made it years with just his own personal gun collection. But, he recognized how important it was to arm the masses, and so he founded Liberty knowing the base would have what he needed.”

“When was that?”

“Oh, perhaps a month or so after the outbreak.”

“The old government didn’t stop him?”

“They couldn’t. I’m sure they tried, though. The place was his within a week, and he was recruiting civilians soon after. Now, all the civilians are trained to fight, and the soldiers who stuck around are expected to work the same jobs as everyone else.”

“Sounds idyllic.”

“Despite the hectic environment outside the walls, it is a rather charming place. It doesn’t even look like a barracks, anymore, people have built homes and there are shops and places for leisure. It’s not all about survival, he wants everyone to live as we could before, even better, if possible.”

“I see. And when did you come to Liberty?”

“His group found me and my sisters about a year after he settled in. I didn’t trust him at all, honestly. His smile seemed fake, and he seemed so full of promises that I didn’t think could even be kept in this world. My sister finally made us join them, and we were immediately given shelter and jobs and even guns the first day. I couldn’t believe it. I thought him an idiot—surely we could just rob the food bank or armory and be on our way.

“I didn’t do that, of course, but I grew bored of my job. So I signed up for additional military training and eventually earned my spot at the top of the ranks. The entire time I fought, Alfred just seemed so smug about it. Asshole…” he muttered.

Based on Ivan’s reactions, Matthew still wasn’t sure what to make of this Alfred person. He seemed too flippant, too nonchalant when it came to dealing with other people’s lives. It didn’t sound as if Ivan approved of his character all that much, either, and Matthew came to resent Alfred.

In the following days, Matthew asked more and more questions, and whenever the subject came back to Alfred, Ivan would smile and insult the man in some way. At the same time, he seemed taken with Matthew’s own stories, both those before and after the outbreak, and Matthew glowed every time Ivan left his men to sit with him or started up a conversation.

Matthew still wore Ivan’s coat in the cool evenings, and Ivan didn’t comment on it. He did start to notice that some of the man would snicker in his general direction, especially whenever he and Ivan went off for a walk alone. He didn’t know if Ivan noticed, but decided to pay them no mind. So what if he and Ivan were becoming good friends? They wound up having a lot in common, and their temperaments complemented each other’s well. It was no surprise then that Matthew found himself growing more and more flustered around the admittedly attractive man, and he wanted nothing more than to take their friendship to another level.

He worked up the courage to confess to his crush about a day before they arrived at Liberty. However, Ivan was much more distracted, he saw, and didn’t even acknowledge Matthew as he ambled about. He barely even noticed his second-in-command, a man named Gilbert, who cursed as his superior bumped into him without so much as an apology.

“Dick,” Gilbert said.

“Is he okay?” Matthew asked.

Gilbert eyed the newcomer up and down and smirked. It was cute, he thought, how he looked all swaddled up in Ivan’s coat. Alfred was going to tear this kid apart if he ever showed his face in Liberty looking like that.

“Oh, he’s always like this near the end of our trips. He’s just antsy to get home.”

“Ah, that makes sense,” Matthew said, uncomfortable with Gilbert’s open staring. “Um, how about you? Are you ready to be back?”

“Of course! My little brother is probably super worried about me!”

“Oh,” Matthew replied. “I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t talk to anyone but Ivan, so that makes sense.”

Matthew flushed, and Gilbert laughed.

“Don’t worry, I’m just teasing. He likes you, you know.”

Matthew’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Oh yeah, he’s like super comfortable with you. You’re just his type, you know, tall, leggy blond with pretty eyes. You’ve even got glasses!”

“Uh… that’s kind of weird of you to say.”

“Watch out for his sister, though, she’s super protective. Like she’ll cut your dick off, she’s fucking crazy.”

He paled. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I’m just looking out for ya, and for the big bear, too.”

“So… are you encouraging this?”

Gilbert was looking forward to the shit-show that was to come. “Oh totally. But, maybe not till we’re back at Liberty. He’s too spacey for anything right now.”

Matthew nodded. “Got it. Thanks, Gilbert!”

While the blond—he really was quite leggy, he thought—walked toward his temporary bunk, Gilbert laughed softly to himself. Ivan was gonna get an earful from Alfred, he thought, and it was always amusing to see his good friend being knocked down a peg by his boyfriend. Nothing beat a harmless prank every now and again, he figured, and Matthew was sure to make things a bit more interesting back home.

The next day, Matthew found himself so distracted by the mighty walls of Liberty that he temporarily forgot about his plans for confessing to Ivan. He stared, mouth agape, as the caravan passed through the fortified gates and into the sprawling city. He was confused at first when he only saw farmlands and no buildings, but after passing through a second walled security checkpoint, the city came to life.

Crowds cheered at their arrival, it seemed the soldiers had been well missed. A few hopped out of the vans in order to meet with crying family members. Still, Ivan’s truck pressed on. After a long drive made longer due to the impromptu parade, they arrived at what seemed to be the city center—Matthew swore Ivan called it the Kremlin—and stopped.

Ivan stepped out first and walked in front of his truck. Across the pavilion stood a tall man clad in a pressed suit—Matthew hadn’t seen such fine clothes in years. Gilbert shoved Matthew out the door and forced him to follow the small band of men. As he neared the lone figure, he even saw a small American flag pin on the man’s lapel.

Alfred didn’t look any different than from when Matthew had seen him in interviews or press conferences: he was still boyishly handsome, with classic good looks. He smiled brightly at the men, though Matthew thought he saw his eyes darken when they settled on Matthew. He shivered lightly at the gaze, even though he was more than warm enough in Ivan’s coat. Ivan stopped about ten feet from Alfred, and the Governor grinned cheekily. He ran forward then, and pounced on Ivan, wrapping both arms around the stoic general’s neck.

“Ivan!” he cheered. “I’m so happy you’re back!”

Ivan chuckled, patting his leader on the back. “Of course, dorogoy, I always said I’d come back, didn’t I?”

Alfred pulled back, but he still held onto Ivan tightly. “Well, you didn’t have to go and break the radio, you ass. I was worried about you!”

Ivan pet his hair. “Worried? About someone other than yourself? How surprising.”

“Oh shut up,” Alfred laughed. He nuzzled his head against Ivan’s chest, and the pair embraced for several sweet seconds.

Finally, Alfred broke free of the hold and hopped over to Matthew. “Now, who’s this newbie? What’s your name, kid?”

Matthew knew for a fact that Alfred was younger than him, but he didn’t choose to bring that up. “Matthew. Matthew Williams.”

“Mattie, huh?”

Matthew could only nod.

“Where’d you find him, Ivan?”

“A few days southeast of here. He’s been on his own for a while.”

He nodded. “Well, welcome to Liberty, Mattie! I’m sure you’ll find your home among us; feel free to ask me if you have any questions.” He turned to face Ivan, immediately regaining his dazzling grin. “Are you ready for the party tonight?”

Ivan sighed. “I suppose. How’d you even know we’d be back today?”

“Y’all are pretty easy to spot from the outer walls. It’s amazing your antics didn’t bring all the Biters our way.”

“Are you suggesting that my men are loud and cumbersome?”

“Of course.”

“You were the one who trained us, so I suppose it makes sense.”

Alfred laughed, then clapped Ivan on the back. “Gosh, I’ve missed you, man. Although, you may have some competition.”

Ivan raised a brow. “I beg your pardon?”

“Yeah, not long after you all left, another newbie came straight up to the front gate and demanded entry. Jesus, he has a wicked mouth on him, even though he professes to be some ‘gentleman’. He’s working in my office for now, since he’s pretty smart about organization.”

Ivan glared at Alfred. “Oh? Will I get to meet this mystery man?”

“Of course,” he smirked. “He’ll be at the party tonight, as well. I’m sure you’ll just _love_ Arthur. His insults were quite the comfort to me while you were out.”

Matthew glanced between the two, sensing the tension—were they going to fight? he thought. They had a very strange dynamic, both teasing and yet also antagonistic. Just what kind of peers were they?

“I’d like to take care of the briefing before the party, if that’s alright,” Ivan said.

“Oh!” Gilbert broke in. “I just need to fetch my journal from the van and then—“

“No need, I can take care of it myself,” Ivan interrupted. He grabbed Alfred’s arm and pulled him away from the group, the pair heading toward a nearby building that bore the state’s flag.

Matthew blinked, surprised with how suddenly he found himself apart from Ivan. “That was weird. Are they always like that?”

“Totally, they’re like children. Anyway, we should get ready for the party tonight! I just know it’ll be awesome!”

“What is it for?”

“For our return, of course! Alfred always throws something the night that we get back. Ivan hates it, he’s not a fan of parties, but it’s fun. Maybe you can meet a pretty lady or boy or whatever it is that you want.”

“I don’t really care about all that. Besides, I just got in. I don’t even know anyone.”

“Just Ivan?”

He shrugged. “And you, barely. Though even the little time I’ve taken to get to know you, I’m already regretting.”

Gilbert pouted. “Aw, birdie, you’re so cold to me! So, when you gonna make your move?”

Matthew didn’t deign himself to answer, and he only rolled his eyes before walking away, hoping another soldier could lead him to someone with authority to help him settle in.

While Matthew spent the next few hours sorting out his move, another newer member of the city was across the base, lounging in the kitchen with an acquaintance.

“Alfred’s been acting so odd lately, Francis,” he said. “Are you sure he’s okay?”

“Of course, mon petit Arthur. Alfred’s always a bit of brat—“

“Obviously,” Arthur interrupted.

Francis continued, “—especially when the troops are getting back. I’ll admit, this is the worst I’ve seen him since I got here. Understandable, really. He can barely function without Ivan. Why, if you hadn’t come along, he’d probably have burned the place down or something.”

Arthur puffed up at the compliment. It was true, he really had been quite an asset those past few months, helping Alfred get the city into a comfortable state. He was also one of the few members who wasn’t afraid to call Alfred out when he was getting a bit mad with his power.

Arthur had found the establishment rather serendipitously. He settled in well enough, but he couldn’t stand working in the kitchens where he had been assigned to train under Francis. Luckily, his cooking skills were so poor that he wasn’t allowed to stay on that team, and he requested a transfer such that he could put his accounting skills to use. Naturally, he wound up in the office of the Governor, who he’d only previously met once before.

The two did not mix well, that much was plain to see. They bickered over almost everything, though as Alfred often did, his fights and debates were more teasing in nature. This only served to aggravate Arthur even more, as he felt that the young Governor didn’t respect his opinions. It took Francis many nights of Arthur’s drunken rants to convince him that that was just Alfred’s personality—why, his closest friend was Ivan and the two couldn’t go two sentences without fighting, he told him.

When Arthur finally accepted this fact, he was able to appreciate the intricacies of his new relationship. It wasn’t long before he found himself falling for Alfred, despite Francis’s insistance that he not embark on that path. Arthur just figured the perverted frog who was always quick to grope him while he worked wanted either he or Alfred for himself, so paid him no mind.

He’d tried his hand at flirting and Alfred had seemed to be receptive. Of course, he was a gentleman, and he had kept things light enough so as not to startle the younger lad, and they hadn’t gotten physical. Still, they spent plenty of time together outside of work, and Arthur came to admire Alfred’s character greatly.

He was loud and boisterous, surprising given his position. While charisma was good in a leader, it was clear that his manifested in a bit more crude fashion, as he was blunt and couldn’t read a room to save his life. He was too trusting, too chipper, and too over-the-top, Arthur thought. He hadn’t known Alfred’s reputation prior to the virus, but Alfred himself had filled him in on his old achievements when Arthur had asked.

Beyond his initial impression, however, he recognized the true genius behind the loud mouth. Alfred’s brilliance was subtle and almost purposefully hidden. Sure, he bore a smile most of the time, but he was a superb actor and Arthur had learned the differences between his many smiles. It was intimidating, truly, how well Alfred led; even when many disagreed with him, he could sway them with that saccharine grin in a heartbeat. All the while, Arthur’s own heartbeat would speed up whenever Alfred coolly disarmed a foe with his silver tongue and couldn’t help but imagine that tongue putting itself to work in other ways.

Arthur and Francis chatted for another hour while transporting food to the city’s largest banquet space near the administrative building. By the time they were done, the guests were shuffling in, most people happily catching up with friends and ready for the evening’s festivities.

Francis ran to his two closest friends upon seeing them—since he’d been prepping for the party, he hadn’t been able to see the two soldiers. Arthur followed at a slower pace, both taking in the décor as well as searching for Alfred in order to spend the dinner with him. He knew that once he got some liquid courage in him, he’d be better able to have a more intimate conversation with the blond so wanted for them to sit together.

He had no luck in finding the Governor, however, and so joined Francis and met the two other men named Antonio and Gilbert. He’d heard stories about them courtesy of his peers, though he was far from interested in getting to know either of them beyond that. He was gruff with them, and shuffled away to sit by himself with a drink.

“What a jerk,” Antonio said. “I don’t like him one bit.”

“Oh, he’s rough around the edges, but not that bad,” Francis insisted. “Plus, he’s just so cute with his little crush on Alfred!”

Gilbert burst into laughter. “No shit? That’s hilarious. I hope you didn’t crush his dreams?”

“How could I deny anyone the chance at amour? Of course I didn’t say anything about Ivan. I thought it’d be funny to watch it play out anyway.”

“How crazy! We picked up some scrawny little thing, and he fell for Ivan! I didn’t say shit to him, either!” Gilbert struggled to speak through his laughter.

“You two are cruel!” Antonio remarked. “How long do you think it’ll be till they find out?”

“Oh, I assume less than an hour, now. I just want to see the look on birdie’s face when he does. I have no shame in being the rebound.”

His friends rolled their eyes and smiled. “We know,” Francis said. “Now that you mention it, maybe Arthur will need some comfort once he realizes that Alfred is far from available. They were cute together, though, I must say.”

“Yeah, Mattie and Ivan were sweet. Didn’t have the same flare as Ivan and Alfred do, though, you know?”

“You guys are really weird,” Antonio laughed. “Come, let’s quit gossiping and get some liquor before Ivan shows up and drinks it all!”

Laughing, they strolled to a table with some other friends, only stopping to pick up two glasses of wine each. They were free to chat for a few minutes before a hush descended over the crowd. Turning, they saw the front door opening, and in marched Alfred—he always did like dramatic entrances.

He went past the drinks, past the food, past all his citizens. Arriving at the front of the room where his table was, he faced the crowd. He raised a hand to quiet any voices that remained, then smiled.

“Good evening, everyone!”

“Good evening!” they repeated.

“Sorry for my lateness, had a bit of trouble with one of the generators. Everything’s up and running, now, however. Anyway, where the hell is the guest of the hour?”

“Wasn’t Ivan with you?” Gilbert asked.

“Oh, we finished our briefing hours ago.”

“More like de-briefing,” Gilbert snickered. Francis slapped his friend. Before more faulty assumptions could be made as to Ivan’s whereabouts, the man arrived, standing tall and proud in the door. He wasn’t in his signature coat, which Francis thought odd—the man had worn that thing every day ever since Alfred had given it to him. Beside him was the coat, wrapped protectively around someone who could almost be described as a thinner, slightly taller version of Alfred. Francis chanced a look at the Governor and almost regretted doing so upon seeing the harsh and unconcealed glare sent toward the newcomer.

Ivan didn’t seem to mind the glare, however, as he merely made his way to Alfred’s side. Matthew was close on his heels, and soon the three were together.

“You’re late,” Alfred commented.

“So were you,” Ivan shot back.

“Still beat you,” he smiled, his tone teasing.

“True. I wanted to make sure Matthew knew where the party was.”

“How kind,” Alfred’s voice was flat. He directed his attention to the crowd. “I would like to personally introduce you all to our newest citizen, Matthew. I hope everyone extends to him a very warm welcome.”

The people clapped politely, and Matthew flushed at the attention. They ceased, and it seemed that they expected him to say something. He cleared his throat.

“Thank you, Mr. Jones,” he began, not sure of how best to address the Governor.

Alfred chuckled. “Why, it’s been ages since I’ve been called that. Just ‘Alfred’ is fine.”

“Oh, alright. Well, thank you, Alfred, so much for giving me a home. I truly didn’t think I would have lasted another week out on my own. And thank you to everyone I’ve met who helped me move in. I’m looking forward to finding out my job so I can try to repay all that Liberty’s already given me. And, thank you to Ivan for being such a kind friend to me since we’ve met.”

Ivan smiled. “It was my pleasure.”

Alfred raised a brow at this, and the crowd tensed. “Yes, well, I’m sure everything will work out just fine, Matthew. Now, I see that most of y’all have already helped yourselves to the drinks, so there’s hardly a need for me to release you! Anyway, take whatever food you’d like! Let the party begin!”

There was a collective cheer and raising of glasses. Ivan raised a hand, and the onslaught of voices died down.

“Ah, sorry for interrupting, everyone, but I have a quick announcement.” He turned toward Alfred and took his hands in his. “While we were outside the walls, we found many useful things, and a very interesting new friend—“ Alfred pouted at this. “—Among those things we gathered was something that immediately caught my eye; I just knew I had to grab it. While it is an item from years past, one without much use in our current world, I still knew that Alfred would appreciate the sentiment.”

Ivan released one of Alfred’s hands and with his free hand reached into his pocket. He fell to one knee, and brought forth a small velvet box, holding it up toward Alfred. He opened it and inside Matthew saw a gleaming golden band featuring a single, small diamond embedded in the metal. He paled when he realized what it was.

Alfred gasped, then started bouncing in his shoes excitedly, reaching for the jewelry. “Oh my god! This is awesome! Yes!”

Ivan chuckled. “I haven’t even asked the question yet, love, you’re so impatient.” Matthew recognized the tone. It was the exact one he’d used whenever he’d insulted the governor, though where before it sounded critical, now it couldn’t be viewed as anything less than endearing.

“Hurry up, then!” Alfred insisted, laughing.

“Alfred, will you marry me?” he finally asked.

“Of course, big guy!”

Ivan grinned—a sweeter sight than Matthew had ever seen, truly—then stood. He and Alfred struggled slightly to get the ring on the right finger, as Alfred had lost all interest in the metal and was solely focused on trying to wrap his arms around Ivan. They eventually succeeded, however, after which Alfred was free to embrace Ivan as he wished, lathering his face with comically sloppy kisses.

The rest of the room cheered.

Still in shock, Matthew retreated to a near-empty table while Alfred and Ivan went to their own at the head of the room. Many of their friends went to offer their congratulations and look at the ring, but Matthew only stared blankly.

“You alright, lad?” his sole tablemate finally asked. Matthew glanced up and immediately noted the number of emptied glasses in front of him. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I’m fine,” he lied. “Just… a bit shook up is all. I didn’t know those two were together.”

Arthur nodded. “You and me both. Why, the way Alfred complained about him, I thought the two were nothing short of enemies!”

Matthew didn’t reply, and Arthur sighed. He recognized the look on the boy’s face, as he was sure his own was showing the same.

“Here,” he said, pushing a large pint glass filled with beer across the table. “Cheers to the happy couple.”

He took one last glance at the two men, Alfred happily perched on Ivan’s lap, them sharing a chaste kiss while they thought no one was looking. No one else seemed to find their embrace unusual. He didn’t know their story, knew it wasn’t fair for him to judge anyone else’s love, but still he was bitter. He returned his focus to his beer and downed half of the liquid, its own bitterness doing well to numb him to his conflicted feelings.

“Cheers to the happy couple,” he repeated, taking another hefty swig of what would be his first–but definitely far from his last–drink of the evening.


End file.
